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What’s in a Word? “Accident” vs. “Crash”

For many years, traffic collisions and crashes have been called “accidents” by drivers, their insurers, police, and even pedestrian and cyclist victims themselves. But the term “accident” implies a sudden, unforeseeable occurrence for which no one bears fault. In fact, most traffic collisions are caused by aggressive or reckless driving. We use the term “crash” to avoid implying an absence of driver fault. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and the NYPD agree with us, and have adopted the terms “crash” and “collision” instead of “accident."